Two of college football’s most prestigious brands, Michigan and Alabama, are entering a new era with two new head coaches.
While Michigan promoted Moore after serving as acting coach during Jim Harbaugh’s suspension, Alabama went out and hired Kalen DeBoer from the national runner-up Washington Huskies after Nick Saban’s retirement.
The Wolverines will have a whole new look this season, returning just 36% of last year’s roster. The Crimson Tide, on the other hand, return star quarterback Jalen Milroe to orchestrate the offense. We’ll see if DeBoer can work his QB magic like he did with Michael Penix Jr. at Washington last year.
Despite the massive turnover for Michigan, FOX’s Joel Klatt has the Maize and Blue ranked higher than the Crimson Tide.
Both programs will undoubtedly be tested in their first full year with new head coaches. Alabama has the typical SEC gauntlet with road trips to LSU, Tennessee, and Oklahoma while hosting a team that many think should be the preseason No. 1 team in Georgia.
On the other hand, Michigan has the experience of facing tough opponents with Moore at the helm, as Klatt stated on his podcast. Nevertheless, hosting the likes of Texas and Oregon and traveling to Washington and Ohio State will certainly be a challenge for the defending champs.
So, how will these two programs respond after losing two big-name head coaches? It certainly makes for an interesting storyline to follow throughout the season.